Now she shot her friend a smirk. “That’s what multiple orgasms can do for you, girl.”

They burst out laughing again and it was a while before they could contain themselves. Bryce picked up her glass of apple cider and took a sip. “I’m enjoying my time with him, Vash. Both in and out of bed. We went out on his boat after church on Sunday. We packed a lunch and everything. It was nice.”

Vashti took a sip of her apple cider. “So where do you think all this will lead? I know he’s trying to earn back your love and trust. He’s told Sawyer as much.”

Bryce thought about that and then said, “There are days when I think I need to have my head examined for being back with him. Then there are days that I thank my lucky stars that I am, and to do otherwise is fighting the inevitable.”

“And what do you see as the inevitable?”

Bryce swallowed hard. “Falling back in love with him.”

Vashti nodded and then asked softly, “Would that be so bad, Bryce?”

A ton of memories flooded Bryce’s mind. Memories of just what they’d done for the past week, what they’d done on his boat Sunday and what she looked forward to doing tonight, this time in his bed. Just thinking about all the pleasure she would be getting made her shiver.

She drew in a deep breath. “We’re older now, Vashti. He owned up to what he did and I accepted his apology, but it seems the one thing I can’t do when it comes to Kaegan Chambray is release the hold that fear has on my heart.”

An hour or so later, when she left Vashti’s place and was heading for home, Bryce thought about their conversation. What she’d told Vashti was the truth. She wasn’t sure she could give her heart to Kaegan. But yet whenever she thought of joining him later at his place for dinner she felt giddy inside. She truly enjoyed the time they were spending together and not just in the bedroom. And she couldn’t help but miss him whenever she didn’t see him. She was used to seeing him in the mornings at the café and hadn’t realized just how much until those mornings she didn’t see him.

Then there were those times they talked each night at bedtime. She looked forward to his nightly calls. Those were the times she wished he was there with her, holding her in his arms. Sleeping beside her.

He had invited her to dinner tonight but she would have an overnight bag packed just in case he wanted to make it into something more. She had a feeling that he would, and when he did, she would be ready to accept. At that moment she realized what else she was ready to accept, something she now knew. She had fallen back in love with Kaegan. Had she truly ever fallen out of love with him, or had she been ardently protecting her heart and had built this unbreakable shield around it? A shield he had broken, anyway? Did it matter?